Wellesley Public Schools
Learning • Caring • Innovating
Superintendent’s Bulletin

 
September 25, 2015Colleagues,Earlier this week, you may have seen the news that, according to a recent national study, nearly 25 percent of undergraduate women reported being the victim of sexual assaults at colleges and universities across the country.  As an educator in a district that sends most of our graduates off to college each year, I find this news extremely troubling.  As a father of two daughters, I find this news absolutely terrifying.  While I believe these data will lead to a great deal of deliberation and, hopefully, action among institutions of higher education, this news should also cause us to reflect on how our preparation of both young men and women can arm them to be allies in reversing this trend.  I invite your thoughts on ways in which we can strengthen our programs to do so.  Separately, on Monday night, we will be reporting to the School Committee on our most recent MCAS data.  Clearly MCAS does not measure everything we teach nor everything we value. (See paragraph above.)  At the same time, these data do provide a useful longitudinal lens on some important elements of our work.  With this in mind, our efforts to align our instruction with new standards are clearly paying off and I am also very proud of how our team has used student responses in writing to bolster our approach.  We still, however, see significant and persistent achievement gaps between subgoups of students that require our continued focus.  I encourage our district and school-based teams to continue examining these data as one of many tools we have to inform our improvement efforts.             Thanks to everyone for the important work you do in our classrooms each day and enjoy the weekend.  Best regards,David

Calendar
9/28/15 (Monday)  – School Committee Meeting – 7 pm Great Hall, Town Hall
9/29/15 – Fall Walking Program Kick Off Meeting – 3:30 pm – Selectmen’s Mtg Room, Town Hall
9/29/15 – School Committee Interboard Meeting (SFC recommendations for facilities work at Hardy, Hunnewell & Upham Schools) – 7:30 pm Town Hall
10/2/15 – School Committee Working Meeting – 8:30 am – Superintendent’s Conference Room
10/5/15 – Hardy School Staff Meeting – Recommendations for Hardy School Facilities – 3:15 pm 
10/6/15 – Lane Change 101 Session – 2:45 pm – Superintendent’s Conference Room – See Info Below
10/6/15 – Upham School Staff Meeting – Recommendations for Upham School Facilities – 3:15 pm
10/7/15 – Hunnewell School Staff Meeting – Recommendations for Hunnewell School Facilities – 3:15 pm 
10/14/15 – Lane Change 101 Session – 3:15 pm – Superintendent’s Conference Room – See Info Below
10/20/15 – School Committee Meeting – 7 pm Selectmen’s Meeting Room, Town Hall
10/21/15 – School Committee Working Meeting – 8:30 am – Superintendent’s Conference Room

Condolences to Jill Callahan (WMS Art Teacher) on the loss of her father, Arthur ‘Nick’ Goldman on September 18, 2015.  Salary Lane Change 101
Tuesday, October 6, at 2:45 pm
or
Wednesday, October 14, at 3:15 pm
Superintendent’s Conference Room (lower level of Middle School)
​Are you working toward a lane change and have questions about the process? This 30-minute information session will provide an overview of the steps you need to take to change lanes, as well as an orientation to WellesleyPD, the District’s professional development website.  Co-Hosted by Addie Doherty and Chelsea Bailow.

Please click here to RSVP.

                                                                                                        Join the Fall Walking Program

You are invited to join the Wellesley Walkers for our Fall Walking Program beginning on Sunday, October 4, 2015.  The kick off meeting is scheduled for September 29th at 3:30 p.m. in the Selectmen’s meeting room in the Wellesley Town Hall.  The program will run through October 31st and is free, fun and filled with benefits.  All program participants will receive a goody bag at the start of the program and will be eligible for random prize drawings throughout the program.Sponsored by the Wellesley Health Department and the Human Resources Department, the walking program is geared for individuals from all walks of life.  If you are a serious walker, a casual walker or a walker “wanna be”, please consider joining the Wellesley Walkers for our Fall Walking Program.  Proven benefits of walking include the following:

  • Weight management by boosting metabolism
  • Blood pressure control
  • Reduced heart attack risk
  • Boost of  “good” cholesterol
  • Relief from arthritis and back pain
  • Lowered stress levels
  • Improved sleep
  • Improved mood and sense of well-being
  • Lengthened lifespan
  • Improved ability to focus, make decisions and solve problems

Please let Cheryl Daebritz know by Thursday, September 24, 2015 at (781) 431-1019, ext. 2246 or cdaebritz@wellesleyma.gov if you are interested in participating and whether or not you will be attending the kick-off meeting.  Your body is the baggage you must carry through life.   The more excess the baggage, the shorter the trip.

Professional Development OpportunitiesWellesleyPD

  • Your username for WellesleyPD now matches the format of your WPS gmail address (lastnamefirstinitial).
  • Fall course offerings may be viewed by selecting “Offerings” from the menu on the left side of the screen.

Primary Source

  • Click here to view the 2015-2016 Primary Source Course Offerings.
  • If you’re interested in registering for a course, please submit the Primary Source Registration Request form by Tuesday, September 29th.  If spaces are still available, you may register after this date.

For more information, go to Primary Source on WellesleyPD.​Fitness & Health Department Needs Assistance 
w/Intramural Program

Interested in Afterschool Work for Extra Pay?

The Fitness and Health Department is seeking teachers, paraprofessionals and teaching assistants who are interested in working in the Intramural Program at Wellesley Middle School.  Responsibilities would include running sessions and afterschool activities for extra pay.  Specific assignments and activities would vary, and would be organized by the WMS Intramural Coordinator.  If you are interested, please email Joanne Grant, Director of Fitness and Health at: GrantJ@wellesleyps.org.
​​WPS Internal Job Postings on District Website

Please be aware that we added a new feature called “Internal Job Postings” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website.  We will post all of our internal jobs under this website tab. Therefore, you will no longer see internal job postings in the bulletin. This new way of posting will allow us to post internal positions any day of the week.
 
Wellesley Public Schools • Wellesley, Massachusetts www.wellesley.k12.ma.us/district/superintendent David Lussier, Superintendent

The Superintendent’s Bulletin is posted weekly on Fridays on our website. It provides timely, relevant information about meetings, professional development opportunities, curriculum and program development, grant awards, and School Committee news. The bulletin is also the official vehicle for job postings. Please read the bulletin regularly and use it to inform colleagues of meetings and other school news.

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Superintendent’s Bulletin 9/25/15